Cars

Keeping with the car theme because I have spent so much of my time recently searching cars I found this Hyundai commercial below. The commercial is taking common stereotypes and showing how they are wrong through the entire commercial. For example they show a yellow rose and say "roses are red" and they show a woman boxer and say "girls are weak." They are taking these stereotypes and showing how very wrong they can be, in the end of the commercial they show the new Hyundai product being promoted and say that "luxury is for an elitist few."

This commercial is genius! Many commercials have said in the past that their cars are luxury but for a better price, Hyundai took the next step and really made you believe that their car is luxurious for a better price because of all of the qualifiers they used in their commercial. Taking all the examples of things that are stereotypically not possible and defying that in a calming state makes the viewer feel at peace and more luxurious just by the feel of the commercial. All those qualifiers really give peace of mind to the viewer and make them believe that Hyundai actually has created a vehicle that is luxurious but also affordable.

A commercial is supposed to be able to tell a story without audio, this commercial in fact does so. In particular at the beginning in the desert there is beautiful colorful plants, something most of us would have never expected. It defies possibility and that is what makes Hyundai, Hyundai.

New Car

So I was recently in the hunt for a new car because my old car died. In my researching on cars I found an advertisement for a car that looked pretty cool and turned out in the end to be the car that I had just bought. I was looking at a Hyundai Sonata when I saw the advertisement for the Chevrolet Malibu on the side. My being a student I was looking for low financing over a medium to long length of time. Seeing this is on the side made me click on through.

To be fair it is not like I wasn't already curious about the Malibu, it was simply that seeing the advertisement sped up the process of me going to look at the Malibu. Also the advertisement got me off of the website with reviews on the Hyundai that I was looking at. So that advertisement did two things to help their company, it got me interested enough to click on the ad and it took me away from a competitor. 

Although I do think that they could have done better with this advertisement, it doesn't pop off the page and grab my attention, I just happen to read the advertisement banners on the side of websites and so happen to be investing my time in exactly what they were advertising. 

One of the things I find really good about this advertisement though is that the fine print isn't something that tells you that the ad is just a dream like most of the fine print usually is, but it is actually helpful and makes me want to click through even more. It tells you how the financing would work based on $1000 which makes it easier for everyone to understand. 

In the end I ended up with this sweet new ride and Chevy is able to say that their advertising works!

Facebook

So everyone is familiar with Facebook and for those who have one notice the many advertisements that are posted on the sides of the Facebook page. Usually they are things that make you question what Facebook was thinking when that advertisement was tutored for you. But in one of the few cases that have actually been something I was interested I came across this advertisement.

I look at a lot of CrossFit pages and this advertisement was clearly tutored just for me. I'm from Chicago, like CrossFit, and I do lots of races. So I clicked the link, something that I very rarely do, and now I am most likely going to be participating in this CrossFit obstacle course race in September. There are things like Bing's Decision Engine on the internet, essentially smart advertising. It adapts to your preferences and the Metro Dash races found Facebook to be a suitable place to pay for this type of smart advertising. Facebook's ad agency on their website has it set up so you can pay Facebook to advertise for you based on what groups, interests, locations, etc. that people have and only advertise to people with those characteristics.

So in the case of Metro Dash, they most likely paid Facebook for people who have their location set in Chicago, like the CrossFit page, or in their interests have CrossFit. The only reason why I know how the Facebook advertisement agency works is because for my last job I was assigned to find out how we could better advertise our company. In my research one of the easiest and cheapest ways to do so was through Facebook's advertising agency. Plus it is specifically tutored towards whatever we desire to advertise towards.

On a side note, CrossFit is an excellent way to gain fitness and can require less than thirty minutes of your time to do so. It is a class oriented way of working out so you always have people cheering you on to complete the grueling workouts. I highly recommend anyone looking to get a tough workout, but need a push to go try to find the nearest CrossFit gym to you.

Built Like a Volkswagen

I remember growing up and having a pinata at my birthday party when I was seven years old. My father had the pinata tied to a stick which he was just dangling while I had my eyes closed trying to hit it. I managed to hit my cousin with the bat in the process rather than breaking open the pinata. That experience made me appreciate this commercial by Volkswagen so much more.

So after watching the little kid with all his might try to break open the Volkswagen pinata I was able to laugh about it from two perspectives, my own experience, and how ridiculously impossible it was to break open the Volkswagen pinata. Even the father in the commercial became intrigued with the difficulty of what seems to be a simple task, to break the pinata and had to try for himself.

The father then failed miserably just like the kid, talk about embarrassing. It was pretty easy to tell it was a Volkswagen because they made sure that there was a big logo on the front of the pinata pointing out that it was a Volkswagen. It was a rather large logo as a lead in towards how the pinata was "Built like a Volkswagen." This meaning that the Volkswagen vehicles themselves are very strong and dependable. They are very difficult to destroy and will be "hanging" around forever.

"At the scene of a child's birthday party, the strength of the 2011 Tiguan is demonstrated when even a father cannot break the SUV-shaped VW pinata." This is the description of the commercial provided by VW and they couldn't have described it better. It puts the strength of the SUV in a fun light, full of surprises just like a pinata is. A great way to show the vehicle in a unique way.

The audience being sought by the commercial is a young family. This is a great way to capture future clients because once they become a VW owner, it will be easier in the future to keep them buying the product so long as a sufficient job is done creating the vehicle and brand itself.

D ROSE

My favorite basketball team in the world is the Chicago Bulls. I've been a die hard fan my whole life. I was lucky enough to see them draft a local hero in Derrick Rose who led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. His new stardom has led to many commercials including this one by Adidas. The commercial is called 9.8 because that is how many ounces the new basketball shoe that Adidas weighs. They talk about 9.8 from beginning to end, they say all the things that we would expect from a commercial with a basketball player.

First Derrick Rose says it is not the amount of time left on the shot clock which would be most people's first guess, then he says it is not the number of times he would light you up on the court. It finally says that 9.8 stands for 9.8 ounces, how much the new and lightest basketball shoe weighs.

This is important to any basketball player because the lighter the shoe is, the less weight there is that they have to push off with. It can lead to higher elevation and Adidas is trying very hard to promote that as the significance as to why their shoe is the best. It is the lightest and with Derrick Rose sponsoring it, it makes the shoe cool.

Also showing Derrick Rose at his old street basketball court and his barbershop, it makes him see more real and that the consumer can better relate to him. If this superstar who is also just a normal guy at the same time wears these Adidas shoes, I should too.

Doritos Crystal Ball

Here is the Doritos Crystal Ball commercial where the employees in an office setting are asking their luck upon a crystal ball. One employee asked the crystal ball if there will be free Doritos in the office today, he then proceeds to throw the ball at the vending machine and HORRAY FREE DORITOS! Not exactly free, but he's not paying cash for them and got what he wanted. It's ironic because he was asking fate if he would be able to get Doritos but in the end took action himself.

The taking action to get Doritos is trying to get customers to go out and take action to grab delicious Doritos. The commercial is very smart because it involves Doritos as the center of action for the ultimate goal. Also the entire vending machine is full of Doritos so no other food can take away from the Doritos.

Another smart thing about the commercial is that it is in an office setting and can be seen as Doritos being a great snack for during the work day. This commercial was very creative so it makes people think about it and it is very shocking when the employee throws the ball at another worker, possibly his boss. The shock value of the commercial also makes people talk about Doritos.

The also flash the logo across the screen halfway through the commercial. This is another smart way to remind the consumer that the commercial is for Doritos, a problem that actually happens a lot in commercials. They try to be super creative, but people don't realize what the commercial is for. Doritos makes sure that no one forgets what this commercial is for.

Jumeirah Hotels

So after watching Rory McIlroy dominate the US Open (golf) last weekend I was asking myself, what is that company that he is always sporting on his shirt and hat? I had to do a little research as to what is Jumeirah. It turns out it is a hotel chain, not the biggest chain by any means, but very fancy hotel brand. I went and found a print advertisement pictured below.

So the advertisement says "Because making an entrance is important." It features an elegantly dressed woman with what seems to be a puma on a leash walking into a very fancy hotel lobby. There is lots to pick apart in the advertisement so I'll start with the quotation. Clearly they want people to focus on the elegance that the hotel brings, not only in the quality of an entrance they make, but by the people that stay there.

This woman is very different than any woman I have seen in hotel advertising, I've seen beautifully dressed but not with the way she makes her entrance. With the uniqueness of the puma in the picture, it brings to question how unique this woman is and the hotel where she chooses to stay. It is great advertising because it includes the greatness of the hotel and how they actually look, along with the culture they try to make as part of the experience of staying in one of their hotels.

Seeing a hotel lobby so fancy makes me wish I could stay there and the puma chained in the picture makes me think what kind of "wild" fun I could have while at the same time remaining classy and elegant like the woman featured in the print advertisement.

So thank you Rory McIlroy for making me see how intriguing this chain of Jumeirah Hotels is. And congrats on your first Major win.

Captain Morgan

I think we've all seen the Captain Morgan commercials. They have a genius marketing idea where they have people in the commercial do the Captain Morgan pose. It has become so popular that people are mimicking that pose in real life. These commercials have created a culture for those who admire the Captain Morgan commercials or those who enjoy drinking Captain Morgan.

Here is Brent Celek, an NFL player pulling off the signature Captain Morgan pose after scoring a touchdown.

This is a link to one of my favorite Captain Morgan commercials. In it is a guy who receives a call from his girlfriend when he is at a bar, he is supposed to be attending a wedding but faked sick to go out with the guys. She hears the noise in the background and thinks it is a bar, she is right, but she is tricked by all the people at the bar pretending to be different TV shows as her boyfriend scrolls through different channels.

The miracle of pulling this trick off is celebrated with Captain Morgan and strutting the Captain Morgan pose. And in the end there is the Captain Morgan logo with the Captain doing the pose and a question below it, "Got a little Captain in you?" This gets the viewer to question if they are cool enough to drink Captain Morgan.

Of course the brand is making it easy to say yes or for people to want to be as clever as those in the commercial, this thereby helps their brand image and increases their sales. The culture that Captain Morgan has created leads to more and more people wanting to be cool and clever like those in the Captain commercials.

Coke Zero

This advertisement by Coke Zero is very smart because of the timing of the release of the advertisement (summer), but also finding a way to appeal to men.

This advertisement of Coke Zero is a Coke Zero can formed in the shape of the way a man wants to look. The V look is what many men wish they would look like and in order to get the body that a man wants, he knows he needs to eat and drink right. Usually pop is not part of the diet to get into the "beach body" or swimsuit form, but Coke Zero makes the claim in this advertisement that you can kick back and enjoy a coke even when trying to get into swimsuit form.

You can even see the droplets of water and the swimsuit on the can of Coke Zero to give the better visual of the Coke can being a beach body that just came out of the water. Some men feel that they can't drink pop at all when they are trying to diet to get into swimsuit form, Coke Zero says that you can drink pop when you are trying to get into swimsuit form. They say this because Coke Zero is a diet cola that has zero calories like the name infers. And appealing to men is important because Coke Zero can then try to expand their customer base. And according to a study found in the ADA Journal 20% of men have dieted, so by making an advertisement to influence the culture that men don't diet, they can expand their customer base.

This is smart advertising and after seeing this, it has made me want to go out and at least buy a 12 pack of Coke Zero.

Chick-Fil-A

In my time living in Memphis, TN I have come across some crazy advertisements. The ones that I typically find the most entertaining are Chick-Fil-A. Wow is their food incredible, but also they have pretty funny and outside the box advertising. Here is a picture of a not out of the ordinary advertisement for Chick-Fil-A.

Chick-Fil-A uses the cow in their advertisements and is typically a 3D advertisement. On my way home from work I see a Chick-Fil-A billboard with the cow coming out of the billboard like how there is this 3D cow advertising for Chick-Fil-A.

This advertisement seen here, like the one I see on my way home from work very much demands the attention of all those who are around it. It is very unlike most advertisements in that it is 3D. Not only that, but it brings entertainment value because the cow is really trying to push people to buy Chick-Fil-A so they will not be eating beef and therefore the cow.

This particular advertisement is seen at the Atlanta Braves ballpark. Chick-Fil-A being a southern fast food chain makes advertising at a southern ballpark full of thousands of people a prime place to advertise for their company.

Here they are trying to get Atlanta Braves fans to go out and buy Chick-Fil-A. They are targeting those fans particularly by having the cow hold a sign like a typical fan would during the game say "Du the chop eat the Chikin." The chop is what the crowd does during the game to help cheer for the Braves. Also the cow is wearing a Braves hat which makes the fans happy that the cow and therefore Chick-Fil-A cheering for the Braves.

With their advertising campaign being so unique, it really leaves a lasting impression by those who are at the ballpark and see the cow or those like me driving home from work.

Heineken

One of my favorite commercials of all time is this Heineken Walk In Fridge commercial. For those who haven't seen it, it is a couple hosting a party at their apartment that was recently renovated. The women in the commercial get very excited to see the brand new walk in closet, but their excitement doesn't even come close to the men's excitement when the men walk into a closet full of Heineken beer!

Speaking from the male's perspective I can absolutely agree with the excitement level for the men in the commercial versus the women. I would have about the same reaction to a closet full of cold beer as the men in the commercial oddly enough.

Not only would most men be very excited to see a closet full of beer, but the level of excitement that the beer is Heineken makes the target audience think that if they haven't bought some Heineken recently, they should. The very creative idea of comparing the levels of excitement for a male with a closet full of beer compared to a female with a closet of clothes helps bring greater attention to the product itself because people will want to talk about this crazy commercial they just saw.

The commercial is again very creative and very funny, making it one that people will enjoy watching over and over again. Clearly the target audience of the commercial is males in their 20's to 40's. And the commercial manages to draw at least a portion of the female crowd by simply including them in a large portion of the commercial. This is not seen in most beer commercials today unless the women are there for sex appeal.

This commercial was just one of the very many funny commercials during the Super Bowl a few years back and is one that can be enjoyed by all. Great advertising campaign by Heineken, which used the fame of this commercial to include a follow-up commercial.

My Brand of Golf

With all the different companies in the world it can be hard to select a brand that best matches you, but for me the selection was easy. Golf Galaxy is the brand that best matches me because it is a company dedicated to helping their customers and has a passion for golf.

I am huge fan of golf, I play the game 2-3 times a week, I regularly watch it on television, and like to keep up with the latest technology. Golf Galaxy lets me become more educated on the latest golf technology and even let's me test out clubs in their in-store driving range for free.

I am a lot like Golf Galaxy because at my job at a commodities trading firm, I have my own intern who I help become more educated in the commodities industry. This is much like how Golf Galaxy helps educate me in the world of golf every time I walk in there and through the emails I subscribe to through them.

Golf Galaxy just wants people to learn about the game whether you buy from them or not, which is how I feel about helping others like my intern. I don't get paid based on how he learns, but I want to help him learn the business.

I also believe in going above and beyond what is required of me. Golf Galaxy shares this trait in that they not only provide all the golf supplies that I could need, but they also allow me to test the equipment before buying it. They have in-store driving ranges to help the customer be sure they are making the right purchase. This is unlike many other stores that don't have in-store driving ranges and where once you use the club you cannot return it.

Golf Galaxy believes maintaining relationships. They give out rewards points for customers in their Advantage Club and with each purchase you gain advantage points. Like credit cards the more points you have, the better things you can buy with those advantage points.

I share this quality by making sure I stay connected to family and friends even though I'm off in a new city (Memphis) for the summer. I'm sure to call or text those closest to me at least once a week to maintain the relationship like Golf Galaxy tries to maintain their relationships with rewards points for returning customers.

Overall Golf Galaxy and I share many of the same qualities, and those can be hard to find when observing the countless number of company brands in the world.

NBA on ESPN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egzXA9gxENA&feature=relmfu

This is a link to an ESPN commercial featuring Mark Cuban (owner), Stuart Scott (analyst), Jason Kidd (player), and Mark Jackson (analyst). They are all sitting at a table in a diner after having finished up their food, Mark Cuban known as one of the richest men involved with the NBA says "On the count of three we're going to run out of here. One, two, three!" and runs out of the diner skipping out on the bill.

The commercial is to advertise for the NBA airing on ESPN to get more viewers to watch the games and analysis of the games. I think this is hysterical because it includes crazy antics by Mark Cuban which he is well known for and the irony behind a man worth hundreds of millions running out on a diner bill.

There are going to be people that think this is a terrible commercial because it could send a message to children that it is funny or even okay to run out on a bill. I disagree with this completely because I see this simply as a joke to not be taken seriously by anyone. Rather than a message about bills, it is a message that watching the NBA on ESPN brings other things to the table other than basketball. The analysts are entertaining and worth listening to, not just the basketball that is being played.

Not only does this commercial provide great entertainment by the people that are deeply involved in the parts of the NBA on ESPN, but they make sure they get the point across to watch the NBA on ESPN. They do this by saying what days they are on and visually see in commercial when it is available to watch.

Everyone should go out and look through all the NBA on ESPN commercials, they are well worth the time to watch.

RAGE

This is an ad for a video game called RAGE. The game has absolutely nothing to do with the person featured, Blake Griffin, who is an NBA star. RAGE is a shooting game where they are killing things in a post-apocalyptic world.

However, this is genius advertising by the company who created the video game RAGE because it gets people like me who would never even consider looking at a game like this and instantly become very interested because they are advertising with an NBA star.

Here you have the stereotypical people who would play and create the game staring at Blake Griffin climbing on the window. It helps create a funny atmosphere for the advertisement, but does not go too much into the game itself.

I see this advertisement as trying to gain an audience it normally wouldn't, but at the same time not getting the message out to their typical audience that would buy the game. Although I love this commercial, I get the feeling that the typical gamer wouldn't know enough about the game from it to go out and buy it.

If the idea was to expand the customer base for the video game, the creators of RAGE did an awesome job. However, the idea could be seen as a shameless way to include an NBA star in the commercial just because they managed to get him to sign on, this would then be a huge flop on the creators part.

But overall I have to say I love this advertisement. It is funny and it gets the word out on the video game.

blogging

So I've never blogged before and have never followed a blog so I'm still trying to grasp exactly what this is. I look forward to figuring out what it is and I guess I'll be sharing my thoughts with whoever reads this and future posts on random things.